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While West Seattle prides itself on Thursday Night Art Walk the second Thursday of every month, it is the Alaska and Morgan Junction areas that come alive the most with shops hosting established artists and future Picassos. Now, Alki Arts Museum/Art Gallery at 2820 Alki Ave. SW by Cactus Restaurant has been drawing large crowds to its aesthetic island to the delight of Alki residents within walking distance and beyond.

The gallery opened just over half a year ago, and its owners, the chirpy Diane Venti, and her equally amicable husband, artist Tom Wyrick, seem to exhibit good instincts on what to, well, exhibit. Venti graduated West Seattle High School, class of '80. She said that even dogs are attracted to the co-op gallery and event space because the location had been an All the Best Pet Care and many a pug and chocolate lab seem to halt at the gallery's front door, from memory, and perhaps the scent of a dog bone or two hidden somewhere in the shop that humans cannot detect.

Gallery walls feature large canvas murals of Muhammad Ali sparring and vintage-era movie starlets by Alki resident Johnny O'Brady, water colors of area scenes by John Constantine, Dow's father, six pastoral pastel nature scenes by Pamela Benetti, and others.

More boxing connections at the event:

"Vicious" Vincent Thompson, 28, of Tacoma, is ranked 77th in the country as a heavyweight professional boxer, and 199 in the world, according to BoxRec.com. He said he likes Evander Holyfield's heart, and said he won't stop until he reaches his goal, to be heavyweight champ. He credits his coach, Jack Stafford who graduated WSHS with Diane.

Stafford's father, Jack Stafford, Sr., coached former two-time heavyweight champ Pinklon Thomas who lived in Seattle and now works as a drug counselor at the "Center for Drug Free Living" in Orlando, Florida, with young offenders.

South Seattle Community College Welding instructor and artist Rodger Squirrel displays sculpted, lyrical cacti recycled from car bumpers and other metal bits.

"Love it!" said Alki resident Antonio Craig Ventimiglia, 12, of art in general, and the art walk specifcally. He happens to be Diane Venti's son. "I sketch a little. I like (exhibitor) Jason Sinclair Astorquia," he said, while testing out a pair of boxing gloves on some imaginary, albeit ruthless, opponents.

Musicians Levi Hilliard and Alexis-Tuesday Velasco serenaded the crowd.